Cup or tumbler holder for attachment to aluminum chairs or the like



May 2, 1967 J. KRAMER 3,317,171

CUP OR TUMBLER HOLDER FOR ATTACHMENT TO ALUMINUM CHAIRS OR THE LIKE Filed June 21, 1965 INVENTOR JOSEPH KRAMER BY United States Patent 3,317,171 CUP 0R TUMBLER HOLDER FOR ATTACHMENT TO ALUMINUM CHAIRS OR THE LIKE Joseph Kramer, 6717 SW. 27th Court, West Hollywood, Fla. 33023 Filed June 21, 1965, Ser. No. 465,297 3 Claims. (Cl. 248-229) This invention relates to a supporting means for attachment to the arms of conventional aluminum lawn furniture and whereby to support a tumbler or a paper cup in an upright manner.

The invention further contemplates the provision of a bracket means that is fixed to the arm of the furniture and that has a pivotally connected frame member and a cooperating slide bar and with the slide bar embodying an upright plate having a Y-head for engaging the side of a tumble-r or the like and movable in a direction to clamp the tumbler against the tension of a spring or, to permit the slide bar to move into relatively close engagement with the spring and to permit the device to be collapsed when not in use.

Novel features of construction and operation of the device will be clearly apparent during the course of the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings wherein has been illustrated a preferred form of the device and wherein like characters of reference are employed to denote like parts throughout the several figures.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a support constructed in accordance with the invention,

FIGURE 2 is a side elevational view thereof with the parts in the extended position,

FIGURE 3 is a horizontal on line 33 of FIGURE 2,

FIGURE 4 is a transverse section taken substantially on line 4--4 of FIGURE 2,

FIGURE 5 is a transverse section taken substantially on line 5-5 of FIGURE 2, and

FIGURE 6 is a side elevation of the device in the collapsed position.

Referring specifically to the drawings there has been illustrated a sectional portion of a tubular arm 5 of the usual and well known aluminum lawn chairs or the like. Fixed to the arm 5 is a U-shape bracket 6, held to the arm 5 by a threaded set screw 7.

Pivotally connected at 8 to the bracket 6, is a vertical flat bar 9, terminating at its lower end in a right angle extension liljhaving flanges 11. Also connected to the bracket 6 by the pivot 8, is an arcuate flat spring 12 that is biased in a direction away from the bar 9.

Pivotally connected to the extension and the flanges 11, as at 13 is a channel bar 14, having a fiat upper surface 15 and marginal U-shape flanges 16. The inner end of the bar 14 underlies the extension 10 when the bar 14 is in the extended position, as clearly illustrated in the drawings. The bar 14 at its outer end is provided with an upstanding lip 17, for a purpose to be presently described.

Slidable upon the bar 14 toward and from the extension 10 is an outer flat plate 18 stamped to form a Y- shaped head 19, forming a socket for the resting engagement of a tumbler 20 or the like. The plate 18 at its lower end is provided with a rectangular head 21 having side flanges 23 that override the bar 14 and the flanges 16. The head 21 is rockable and slidable upon the bar 14 so that the plate 18 and its Y-head 19 may be moved toward the tumbler 20 and with the flanges 23 being connected by a bar 22 and with the bar 22 being provided with a set screw 22' that has engagement with the underside of the bar 15 whereby to definitely position the plate section taken substantially 18 in clamping engagement with the tumbler. The bar 14 is swingable upon the pivot 13 to be collapsed against the spring 12 and to also permit the plate 18 to slide to a nested position with respect to the extension 10. It is contemplated that the several parts, exclusive of the spring 12 shall be formed of aluminum or other light material and obviously may be formed of plastic.

In the use of the device, the bracket 6 is clamped to either a round arm 5 or it may also be attached to those articles of furniture having a flat arm rest. The bracket 6 as previously been attached to the bar 9 by the rivet 8 and, when a tumbler or the like is to be supported in the device, the bar 14 is swung downwardly to a horizontal position, as illustrated and being limited in its downward movement by the engagement by the inner end of the bar against the bottom of the extension 10. The plate 18 is then shifted outwardly upon the bar 14 a distance capable of supporting or receiving a tumbler device 20 or a conventional paper cup. The plate 18 is normally angled outwardly from the head 21 in both the operative and inoperative positions. With the tumbler 20 resting upon the bar 14, the plate 18 is then shifted toward the tumbler with the tumbler engaging the spring 12 and upon release, the plate 18, being angularly disposed causes the head 19 to partially embrace the tumbler and with the plate 18 disposed in clamping engagement with the tumbler 20, the set screw 22 is fixed to the plate 18, securely holding the plate 18 and head 19 in a firm engagement with the tumbler, supporting the tumbler in a yieldable manner to permit it to be lifted from the device and reinserted to rest upon the bar 14. When the device is to be collapsed, the tumbler is removed and the plate 18 and its head 21 shifted along the bar 14 to engage over the extension 10 and the bar 14 is then swung upwardly to the position illustrated in FIG. 6. The lip 13 prevents the disengagement of the head 21 from the bar 14 in its maximum sliding position. The flanges 23 of the head 21 are of sufiicient dimensions as to slide over the pivots 13 and to the extension 10 and with the device in the collapsed position of FIG. 6, the mechanism is disposed out of the way and prevents no obstacle to the free passage of persons.

It will be apparent from the foregoing that a very novel means has been provided for attachment to conventional lawn furniture and constitutes a novel means for supporting a tumbler or a paper cup and with the paper cup or tumbler being biased in one direction 'by the spring 12 to force the tumbler into the socket formed by the Y-head 19 also, when not in use, the device may be readily collapsed as illustrated in FIGURE 6.

It is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the precise construction shown, but that changes are contemplated as readily fall within the spirit of the invention as shall be determined by the scope of the subjoined claims.

I claim:

1. A collapsible tumbler or paper cup holder for support upon the arm of metallic lawn furniture, that comprises a U-shape bracket that is adapted to be connected to the arm and held against movement by a set screw, a vertically arranged arm that is pivotally connected to the bracket at its upper end and with the arm being bent at a right angle from its lower end to form a rest, a channel bar having a pivotal connection with the rest so as to be swingable to a collapsed position, a clamping plate engaging the channel bar and slidable therealong to yieldably engage a side of a tumbler or a paper cup supported upon the top of the channel bar, means for limiting the downward swinging movement of the channel bar and means for limiting the sliding movement of the clamping plate away from the arm and a leaf spring fixed to the pivot and biased in a direction toward the clamping plate, whereby the tumbler is yieldably disposed against the spring and the clamping plate.

2. A collapsed support for supporting a tumbler or the like upon the arm of an article of metallic lawn furniture that comprises a U-shaped clamp adapted to engage the arm of the furniture and fixed thereto by a set screw, the clamp having an outer fiat wall, a supporting bar that is pivotally connected to the fiat wall of the clamp and that is angled at its lower end to form a flat rest and with the rest terminating in spaced apart lip portions a channel bar having side flanges pivotally connected to the flat rest with an end of the channel bar underlying the rest, a clamping plate having a head portion at its lower end that overrides the channel bar, the head portion being freely slidable on the surface of the channel bar when the plate is angled outwardly, the head portion having side portions that embrace flanges of the channel bar, the clamping plate at its upper end being provided with lateral extensions forming a V-shape socket that is adapted to engage the side wall of a tumbler and a fiat spring that is connected to the pivot of the first named bar and that is biased in a direction toward the socket, the said clamping plate when engaging the side wall of a tumbler being angled with respect to the channel bar, a set screw carried by the head and that has engagement with the underside of the channel bar whereby to hold the head and the plate in adjusted position, and a lip formed upon the free end of the channel bar to limit the outward sliding movement of the head and the clamping plate.

3. The structure according to claim clamping plate and its head portion may be shifted along the channel bar to engage the rest and to permit the channel bar to be swung upwardly to a collapsed position, the said first named bar being swingable upon the pivot to permit the support to be disposed in a horizontal position regardless of the angularity of the arm portion of the furniture, the clamping plate, its lower head portion and the lateral extensions at the upper end being stamped from an integral section of metal, the rest for the first named bar being of such dimensions as to permit the full engagement of the head of the clamping plate to be disposed thereon and to permit the channel bar to be swung upwardly into engagement with the clamping plate and against the tension of the fiat spring.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,227,738 5/1917 Bellis et al 248- 229 X 2,550,019 4/1951 Murphy 248-311 2,649,270 8/1953 Franks 248-311 2,846,201 8/1958 Mermelstein 248-311 X 3,021,106 2/ 1962 Kramer 2483 11 X 3,123,850 3/1964 Piken 248-311 X 3,215,388 11/1965 Culver 248313 CLAUDE A. LE ROY, Primary Examiner. R. P. SEITTER, Assistant Examiner.

2 wherein the 

1. A COLLAPSIBLE TUMBLER OR PAPER CUP HOLDER FOR SUPPORT UPON THE ARM OF METALLIC LAWN FURNITURE, THAT COMPRISES A U-SHAPE BRACKET THAT IS ADAPTED TO BE CONNECTED TO THE ARM AND HELD AGAINST MOVEMENT BY A SET SCREW, A VERTICALLY ARRANGED ARM THAT IS PIVOTALLY CONNECTED TO THE BRACKET AT ITS UPPER END AND WITH THE ARM BEING BENT AT A RIGHT ANGLE FROM ITS LOWER END TO FORM A REST, A CHANNEL BAR HAVING A PIVOTAL CONNECTION WITH THE REST SO AS TO BE SWINGABLE TO A COLLAPSED POSITION, A CLAMPING PLATE ENGAGING THE CHANNEL BAR AND SLIDABLE THEREALONG TO YIELDABLY ENGAGE A SIDE OF A TUMBLER OR A PAPER CUP SUPPORTED UPON THE TOP OF THE CHANNEL BAR, MEANS FOR LIMITING THE DOWNWARD SWINGING MOVEMENT OF THE CHANNEL BAR AND MEANS FOR LIMITING THE SLIDING MOVEMENT OF THE CLAMPING PLATE AWAY FROM THE ARM AND A LEAF SPRING FIXED TO THE PIVOT AND BIASED IN A DIRECTION TOWARD THE 